CropCare wins Rep. Neal Dunn’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s Second District
Rep. Neal Dunn has named Wesley Kuntz of Lawton Chiles High School, Alex Wang of Maclay Upper School, Mikhail Abraimov of Lawton Chiles High School, and Raami Abichou of Lawton Chiles High School as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s Second District.
When asked what inspired the creation of CropCare, the students said, “Our goal was to create an app that could make a meaningful impact by addressing a real-world challenge, one that could help as many people as possible while being simple and accessible. After days of brainstorming, we landed on CropCare. Millions of people grow crops whether it’s their source of food or source of income, and we saw an opportunity to make a difference. Each year, plant diseases are responsible for over 30% of global crop losses, amounting to losses worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Many of these diseases go unnoticed until it’s too late, leading to reduced yields and wasted resources. We wanted to provide a tool that allows people to recognize plant diseases early and take swift, effective action. Instead of watching plants wither away, users can follow simple, informed steps to keep them healthy and ensure better yields.”
This year’s Congressional App Challenge set new records, with an unprecedented 382 Members of the House of Representatives hosting competitions—surpassing the previous high of 374. An incredible 12,682 students from across the country participated, representing a growth of over 1,000 students compared to 2023. These talented students submitted an astounding 3,881 original applications, showcasing their creativity, passion for technology, and the limitless potential of America’s next generation of innovators. This surge in participation reflects the increasing excitement around STEM and highlights a bright future for American innovation.
The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. This resounding show of bipartisan support emphasizes the critical importance of STEM education in today’s rapidly evolving world. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival.
The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from the Broadcom Foundation, AWS, Rise, theCoderSchool, Apple, and others.
The 2024 Congressional App Challenge will launch in May of 2025, and eligible students can pre-register for the competition now.